老澳门开奖结果

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SAN FRANCISCO 鈥� Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno has agreed to make policy changes and conduct staff trainings to ensure that the rights of its LGBT patients and family members are properly respected. The changes are in response to a demand letter by 老澳门开奖结果 and the National Center for Lesbian Rights on behalf of a lesbian who was barred from visiting her partner and giving advice about her treatment at the hospital.

鈥淲e are very pleased that Community Regional is taking seriously its obligations to respect the rights of its LGBT patients and family members,鈥� said Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果 of Northern California. 鈥淲hile it鈥檚 unfortunate that a couple had to suffer in order to make the hospital take notice, it鈥檚 commendable that Community Medical is taking such important steps to ensure that this kind of mistreatment doesn鈥檛 happen again.鈥�

On May 30, 2009, Kristin Orbin was rushed to the emergency room after suffering from an epileptic seizure. She and her partner of four years, Teresa Rowe, had traveled from the Bay Area to Fresno to attend a rally in support of marriage for same-sex couples. Although Rowe, who grew up in nearby Clovis, California, was well aware of Orbin鈥檚 medical history and how she responded to various medications, hospital staff refused to allow her to speak with the doctors treating Orbin or to visit with her. As a result, Orbin was given the drug Ativan that she didn鈥檛 need and which caused her unnecessary pain. After the couple had been separated for several hours, Orbin finally saw her doctor. She complained to him, and Rowe was eventually allowed to be with her.

鈥淲hile an apology would have been nice, we are pleased that this incident will help put an end to unfair treatment of LGBT patients and their family members,鈥� said Rowe. 鈥淏ut while the policy changes are extremely welcome and necessary, this incident has also underscored that, ultimately, allowing same-sex couples to marry is the only way to guarantee the respect and recognition that will prevent this kind of treatment.鈥�

According to the letter Community Medical Centers sent to the 老澳门开奖结果 and NCLR, the hospital is in the early stages of reviewing all its policies dealing with LGBT patients and foresees further changes in addition to the promised training and policy changes. It has also agreed to keep the 老澳门开奖结果 and NCLR apprised of its progress.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very pleased that Community Medical has decided to do right by its LGBT patients,鈥� said James Beaudreau, Education and Policy Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA). 鈥淧roviding equal treatment and care for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, should be of paramount importance to any hospital. It creates an environment in which all patients feel safe and comfortable receiving treatment, which results in a higher quality of patient care.鈥�

A copy of the demand letter and its response is available here.